(photo by Joeff Davis)
Brad Peeler is a wild-animal removal specialist in Marietta. He captures animals in or near people’s homes and relocates them to parks and refuges.
What is the most interesting call you’ve ever gotten? That’s a tough one. There have been situations where people had squirrels in the house begging for food. There was a standoff between a dog and raccoon in a kitchen. It became very interesting for everyone. It’s a delicate matter. You don’t want anyone to get hurt.
What is the most interesting animal you have encountered? A mother fox and seven pups. She burrowed under a deck, and eight feet under the foundation made a den. It was in Alpharetta, so it was a populated area. There were even neighbors’ dog toys drug under the deck. While catching the cubs before the mom, there was a brief standoff. I was watching how protective she was of them. I literally asked her, “Let’s not do this.” I ended up releasing them all together, healthy, on my granddaddy’s land.
Do you ever have to deal with escaped exotic pets or other non-natives? Occasionally, people’s snakes, i.e. boas and pythons. One time, we had to track down an eight-foot [snake] that made its home in a crawl space. They may not like you dragging them out of that space. No parrots or llamas, personally, but it happens occasionally. Like that crocodile on the Chattahoochee. Not a whole lot of non-natives. Some have made their home here, and are essentially natives now.
What is the most frightening situation you have ever been in? Having to stare down a raccoon in a crawl space where she had her young. In the process of getting traps out, she evacuated her young and came after me. I fended her off. I’ve probably never moved that fast in my life. I was at a disadvantage. She was on all fours and very angry. I was crawling. You know Looney Toons? Raccoons can be like that sometimes, jump up and latch on and start tearing away. It’s not a pleasurable experience.
Have you ever been injured by an animal on the job? No. I’ve managed not to get bitten. We wear thick gloves. The worst case is being stung by a hornet or honeybee. Nice thing is, things like that don’t typically happen … or I’m just lucky.
How did you get interested in this career? I was raised in a small town in Kentucky, so I have always been out and about, in the woods. I went to school for recombinant genetics. I was interested in biology and stuff. I also used to manage restaurants.
How do you feel about the animals that you remove? They’re doing it because we encroached on their land. I don’t begrudge them. We, as a species, spread out and knock down more land. This is an effect of that. Everything lives and adjusts to us. Turnabout’s fair play.
What is your favorite animal? I love raccoons. They’re amazing creatures. Very intelligent. Amazing dexterity; they can open up a trash can, a door. They’re fantastic climbers. And they’re pretty laid-back if you don’t have them cornered in a crawl space. To me, they’re just neat creatures, like a cross between a cat and a dog.
